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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25698613">Short Fuse</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Physicallyfat/pseuds/Physicallyfat'>Physicallyfat</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Dancing With The Enemy [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Hazbin Hotel (Web Series)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Disguise, Dresses, Eating, Espionage, F/M, Food, Strong Female Characters, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, fashion - Freeform</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 08:07:30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,230</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25698613</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Physicallyfat/pseuds/Physicallyfat</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Hell sucks for Cherri as she deals with one of the worst days shes had. Watch her suffer.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Angel Dust &amp; Cherri Bomb (Hazbin Hotel), Cherri Bomb/Sir Pentious (Hazbin Hotel)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Dancing With The Enemy [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1863682</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>31</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Short Fuse</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Started this back a few months. Grew really big. the forgot about it a couple of times. Time to start postin!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Chapter 1</b>
</p>
<p>- Day 1 - </p>
<p>
  <em> “Short Fuse” </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>Mercy had no place here. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He coughed and gagged on countless microscopic stars. Sharp explosions dance like knives across him, cutting deep pain into his scaly hide and burn pockets deep within him like molten copper. The explosions were keen to disarm his blaster. Numb heat coursed through his body like a sedative. His arms only mustered to shake at most. </p>
<p>The bombs stop. </p>
<p>The debris glitter and brush like sand across the red bitten streets of hell. The echoing explosions from far off serenade the air as its sent back from the towers of neon indulgence to a red eye. </p>
<p>The eye crept forward. Target locked on, no escape. It spoke death, crossed out. Like a checked off list of the dead. But who could kill which is already dead? A cold wind blew away revealing not a single bright soul, but a pair of dark demons, born of self inflicted consequence.</p>
<p>Cherri’s chaotic hair rose up forming an imposing silhouette over Pentious. Red light flow from her eye seething hatred. Her arms outstretched with cuts and bruises. Tattered fabric waved through the caressing  current of air. The rash explosions ripped the rest of what she had of clothing, to a nest of strings and large gaping holes. The shingles of her clothes barely drape over her unmentionables. Dirt blew off of her right breast as she stomped to him. </p>
<p>The clouds brushed across revealing his malfomed anatomy. Shrapnel from the sky and dust skid across Cherris pale pink skin as a familiar scaled form writhes in anguish before her. Sir Pentious coughs in pain, his arms plant themselves on the ground behind him in an attempt to rise up. They buckle, and scream in pain, his supports slip from underneath him forcing his body to follow gravity to the floor, exhausted.</p>
<p>"Don't think you have won yet!" Sir Pentious stammered loudly, in his shrill whiny voice. fists shaking in defiance on the ground. too heavy for his tired soul to bring them up.</p>
<p>She doesn't smile, "yeah whatever keep telling yourself that asshole," Cherri saunters over. "Tell me when you’re standing up, you wimp!" </p>
<p>She digs a heel into his stomach, pressing her foot heavily on his chest pinning him down. Wincing, he closed his eyes in response. '<em> Gravity was definitely not Sir Pentious's friend today </em>.' Sir Pentious thought to himself. yet doesn't bother to ask why he’s talking to himself in the third person. That's weird, not even I know why he does that. What a nerd. </p>
<p>His gaze broke away with every inch of skin he saw on Cherri. Not a single sound escaped him as his eyes froze on her unyielding exhibition.</p>
<p>"Now get out of my territory, come back when you grow a pair!" Cherri pulls out one more bomb and shoves it under his coils in debris for a makeshift cannon.</p>
<p>He snaps back, "I WILL get my territory back! just you wait! you, you.... HARLOT!"</p>
<p>"yeah, yeah, blah blah whatever you say stinky slinky," she yawned.</p>
<p>"STOP CALLING ME SLINKY! WHAT EVEN IS THAT?" Sir Pentious screamed.</p>
<p>The short fuse is depleted fast. </p>
<p>"I’LL BE BAAAAAaaaaaaaaa-" He screamed into the unforgiving horizon</p>
<p>Standing among the wreckage, "ooh blah blah, im a huge fuckkin screaming virgin. I’m too stupid to keep my eyes off of her tits! Oooh, i'll be back " Cherri echoed to herself. Her singular eye scanned around the rubble around her. Air entered her lungs and was held for a brief second only to be swiftly, and forcefully expelled. Relishing the lavish rewards she now holds. Rewards such as, drug dens, brothels, shady self proclaimed casinos, shit shacks, and, you guessed it: rubble. </p>
<p>Cherri frowns as a secondary, larger, frustrated sigh escapes her. She rubs her temples as it does. The migraine pulses softly at the thought of trying to pass the time other than sleep. Even if she did try to go back to sleep, she was already wide awake. This place became a blur of grey carnage. </p>
<p>
  <em> “Post ‘carnage’ delights were like cable- </em>
</p>
<p>There's the brothel. Could go in and get a quick dip in the sheets… But then that would mean actually going in and having to talk to a stranger and having to explain what you want. Next, there’s the casino, but her pockets are nothing but evaporated from the fight. Whats last? Drugs? Yeah her head was in a vice, but doing something might actually mess with it even more.</p>
<p>“-Lots of tv channels, but nothing to watch.”</p>
<p> Looking to the rocks at her feet, a darkness grew in her stomach. The west side left her nothing but feeling sick. She asked herself why she should stay on the west side anymore. But if she did, who's going to protect her terf?  Pulsating pain grows steadily. If only there was a way to get a vacation down here. How rich is that? Everyone down here is already retired from life.</p>
<p>"Woah hey there good lookin!" the coy shouting came from the edge of the rubble, "come over to my place, I'll show you a good time." </p>
<p>His insulting eyebrows slither and waggle causing Cherri's skin to feel slimy. He looked homeless, his shirt almost as holy as hers. Light glistened off his greasy dome as if it were made of metal. </p>
<p>"Go away, i'm not in the mood for this shit." the sight of him was nauseating. </p>
<p>She could <b><em>smell</em></b> him approaching.</p>
<p>"goddammit,." she says under her breath.</p>
<p>"c'mon baby. I'll make it worth your time." his words fall out of his crooked teeth into cherri's ears.</p>
<p>The top of cherri’s fuse-like pony-tail sparkles. Cherri walks over to him slowly.</p>
<p>"oh hey see, Baybee? I knew you’d come around. I’ll show you a good time!” He walks towards her, arms outstretched. "But I doubt that will be hard for a feisty fuck like y-"</p>
<p>Cherri angerly shoves a bomb into his mouth, jumps up and kicks his stupid head almost clean off. His body is sent flying a good fifty feet into a window. followed by the sparkling sounds of glass, followed by a boom.</p>
<p>A shadow sifts, out of sight, and out of earshot. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b> <em>Snap</em> </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Its black shapes recedes in reaction. Until it is no longer present.</p>
<p>“Ugh.. I can't stay here.'' She sits down on a rock. A jagged rock agitates her bare ass. She jumps in reaction. "Whatever, fuck it! I'll go hang out with Angel. now that hes taking time off from fuckin dudes and doing drugs hes got a lot more time on his hands. Beats bein’ out here protecting my turf from, <b>ONE GUY</b>! Not that I can't hear him coming anyways." she growls to herself, "Like this morning."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>~Earlier that day~</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The monolithic shadow blots out the land below, a blimp meanders through high up in the air, echoing a familiar shrill whiny voice. "OH CHERRI? WHERE ARE YOU??" followed by more echoes of electronic gunfire.</p>
<p>At the same time, 3 miles away, loud snoring drowns out obliteration, half naked in bed. cherri lies dead asleep in tangled sheets, tattered mattresses and broken windows. Snores fighting against the echoing dull screeches from a certain stinky slinky.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>~Back to the present, flashback over~</p>
<p> </p>
<p>With a quick pit stop at her hideout for a change of clothes, Cherri quickly found the bottom of the pile. Her hand scraped the floor picking up a cute dress she had saved for better occasions. In Hindsight it was a waste of money. Dresses are not in the Cherri bomb approved category of partying attire. Especially after since she took up rippin territory away from incompetent gangs in hell as a hobby. Which quickly turned into a strange career title.</p>
<p>Dresses were more of a, ‘artsy fartsy’ deal that got more in the way than efficient. As if that might change her mind about frilly fancy ‘bullshit’ goes for her. </p>
<p>She turned around and saw the massive pile of dirty, and ripped clothes. Ah yes, cleaning clothes. A perfect addition to her migraine. Yeah right.. Maybe buying some fresh new duds would be nice. If only she had money, and a bed that wasn't a marathon away.</p>
<p> She thought, <em> "I might as well hit two birds with one stone and see if I can crash at that hotel. </em>' </p>
<p> </p>
<p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The hotel was a bit of a walk away from the west side for her. But it was made short by her brisk anger-hate walking. Occasionally distracted by the flowing dress that lightly constricts her movements and path choice. It got caught on some exposed metal burs from the rusty pipes along the way a handful of times. The flowing lavender fabric started to dim as muddly puddles of satan knows what splash towards her and cling to the seams. Despite all the shit its going through, at least it wasn't across town. Her heated thoughts of how she’s going to pummell Sir Pentious next make the trip all that more shorter.Cherri's quick multiple knocks on the hotel doors are quickly greeted with a smile and gold toothed smile.</p>
<p>“Heyyyyyy sugar tits!" Angel exclaimed</p>
<p>"Angie!” she elbows him to his arm, “Thanks for waiting for me."</p>
<p>"Well yeah, can't have the head bitch of this place gettin in my business giving me an earful... again. So I figured I come down as soon as I got your text" </p>
<p>They both hug each other warmly.</p>
<p>"Heard the commotion! Lemmie guess..." Angel smiled.</p>
<p>"As if you need to" Cherri frowns</p>
<p>"Haha you're right. Whats the record at again? Pret-tee sure you have been winning as the home team for what? Few months? Gotta be fun kickin his old ass without anybody breathin down your neck." A twinge of jealousy laces Angels words.</p>
<p>"Yeah he is!" Cherri exhales.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Angel pauses, <em>what? Is she replying to something someone else said? She must be losing it. She don’t seem right. </em>He thought</p>
<p>The door swings wider,  and the spider motions Cherri in.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"But more like annoying at this point." Cherri continued to the couch in the lobby.</p>
<p>“I think the two carpet munchers are out today. Lets chill in the lobby..” Angel says.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Cherri wanders across the carpeted floor to a single couch near the ‘reception,’ and takes a seat slouching her body across half the four person couch holding her head wither her resting hand on the armrest. Angel follows right after, occupying the other half with his long sensually charged figure.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> "So annoying eh? is water wet?  He talks like his voice was gifted to him from a gerbil, AND,” Angel finger guns to her, “Hes old. "</p>
<p>"Yeah."</p>
<p>Angel ‘s eyes narrowed slightly, “Yeah?”</p>
<p>"YEAH!'' her eye widened in frustration. "I have fought him so fucking much its getting hard to deal with him."</p>
<p>"Really? Him? Hard? Hes as hard as a wet noodle! I thought he was an absolute bottom bitch pushover."</p>
<p>"Well," she stammered, " yeah he is. but like- also he's like. Fucking everywhere somehow! Even for just one demon!" Cherri motioned with her hands. "How, the hell, is he so prepared all the fuckin time?"  she motions her open hands around the room.</p>
<p>"He did somethin’ extra today?" Angel taps his chin with a single gloved finger. The memory hit him. “OHhhh, he atacked two times today didnt he? And late last night too!”</p>
<p>"EXACTLY!" Cherri exclaims throwing her hands to the dusty ceiling and falling onto the couch. she covers her face with an arm, while the other rests on the couch. the exhaustion sets in from this, 'mornings' battle.</p>
<p>"You're tired baby?" Angel said.</p>
<p>"Oh GOD dont remind me." Cherri growled grumbling to herself as she massaged her temples. "Still tired, is more like it." she groaned</p>
<p>"But it's like... three in the afternoon. And your fights don't last more than a half hour" </p>
<p>"Don't judge me."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Now this was something new. Cherri coming up to the hotel, all dressed up like she's going to prom. Angel looked at the dress during the silence the two of them shared. It became more and more familiar to him. The stitching was all still intact, and there was no fraying, splitting, or tears. It still looks immaculate as the day the two of them bought it. They must be her last ones cause she'd never wear a cute dress like that for fuckin about the town with some outdated slithering relic. The dark back bag, hanging underneath Cherris cycloptic peeper caught Angels eye. ‘<em> Oh the amount of makeup i would have to conceal that </em>.’ he found the cuts on her body soon after. They were nothing but hair like blemishes on her skin. Regenerating is one hell of an ability to have. But its slower than one may think. It made his guts twist. He thought he could almost hear it.</p>
<p>Cherri's stomach growled</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"We should talk about this more  with a bite."</p>
<p>"Ok." Cherri smiled, "Food sounds good"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>~~~~~+~~~~~</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"So like, fighting him is fun and all. but a pain in the ass right?" the soggy french fry Angel used to articulate his words flopped around in his hand. A drip of ketchup landed on the table between them.</p>
<p>"Yeah"</p>
<p>"And like. trying to sneak around to sabotage his work is hard because we have no idea where his little shop of toys is"</p>
<p>"Yeah!"</p>
<p>"So like. you'd have to follow him back next time." He sticks his tongue out and licks the fry into his mouth and eats it.</p>
<p>Cherri Takes a bite of her burger, "mmmhmm"  she murmured angrily as ketchup dripped off her chin.</p>
<p>"So," Angel dipped his next french fry into the strawberry pink milkshake and pointed it back at Cherri. "you should dress up and mix in with his troops during a fight." He eats the french fry.</p>
<p>Cherri stopped chewing and stared at him cheeks full of doubt, and ABC burger. Her eye looked up to the corner of her eyelid. Thoughts went through her head as the burger went down her throat.</p>
<p>"Thats a terrible idea," rang out from behind the stove. "I mean, she doesn't look anything like the egg minions." said Niffty flipping a large 'beef' patty. "I do like the disguise part! it's like Halloween! I haven’t celebrated Halloween in so long a-" </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Nifty kept talking to herself.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Remind me to not talk around her," Angel whispered to Cherri. Raising his voice up to Niffty, he siad, "I didn't know you were invited to this conversation."</p>
<p>Clearing the food out, Cherri said, "I don't know… "</p>
<p>"You're better off disguising as someone else and convince him you're friendly, like from his same time era, space. thing." Niffty continued.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Angel and Cherri look at the little chef. She's onto something there, which silences the both of them.They both listen, while Angel props up a leg across his other, and snacks on his reservoir of fried potatoes. .</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Then," Niffty ran on, slowly turning towards Angel and Cherri "Once you're in, charm him with your womanly figure and dated courtship to lure his thoughtless head into a dull numbness. Gain his every ounce of trust, every cent of his wealth, every head of his associates, and every FOOT OF HIS LAND TO FINALLY RIP IT OUT OF HIS HANDS AND BEHEAD HIS EVE--" Fire rages behind her, accompanied by the angry sizzle of grease. "oh! burgers done!" Niffty’s hands move in a blurring quickness. a whirlwind of condiments and greens revolve around the burger as it was shaped into being.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Cherri and Angel think in silence for a bit.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"I dont know about that," Angel began, "how do we convince a goon like him that you're a different person?”.</p>
<p>"Hes pretty stupid." Cherri stated bluntly just before taking another bite.</p>
<p>"How stupid we talkin?" he said with a small cheek full of potato.</p>
<p>Cherri chews quickly and speaks out of the corner of her mouth, "lasht week I threw a mop at him and he thought it wash me.” She swallowed her bite, ” Then he wrestled with it for almost 30 seconds."</p>
<p>"HA! I REMEMBER THAT! That was on the news!” he chuckles. “But where are we going to get a disguise? Do you know when, or, what age he died at?" said angel.</p>
<p>Cherri said, "the stone age!"</p>
<p>All of them laugh.</p>
<p>"well, he's clearly from around the 1800's or early 1900's" Angel and cherri both turn to look over at Niffty again. taking a massive bite out of her comically large burger. It makes her head seem small. (well. small-er). </p>
<p>Both watch as she easily chews and swallows half of the burger.</p>
<p>Before long Niffty clears her noisemaker and opens again, "First of all, he has a top hat. It has the most popular style of top hat, ‘Chimney pot’ which started around mid 1800’s. The texture of his hat is something similar to Beaver furs! Beaver fur top hats were popularized from the colonization of the United States of America after the great Abraham Lincoln ran for office..." beef juice and ketchup drip down to her chin which she whisks it all up with a quick wipe of her small claw and licks it tentatively, and without hesitation punctuating the action with a little pop.</p>
<p>Cherri and angel sit back at this 'small child-like’ demon devouring this burger in such a marvel. Not that what she had to say had any meaning behind it or weight, or intelligence.</p>
<p>"He wears a bowtie, which were popularized near the 1890's or around 1900's. The shoulder pads he's got also were a style that was pioneered near the 1840's. So that definitely sets the mark." Niffty finishes off the burger by stuffing the ending half into her gaping maw, along with her hands up to her wrists. and chews after sucking every drop of sauce from her wrists up to her fingers. She drops the plate through the running sink- wait when did she turn the sink on?- the plate is back in her hand and is cleaned and placed gently into the drying rack. </p>
<p>She is suddenly standing in front of Angel and Cherri.</p>
<p>“Anyways I think he's from the late 1800’s” Niffty footnotes.</p>
<p>Angel and cherri look at each other. Angel turns to Niffty, "Hey uh, Niffty right?" Angel speaks up</p>
<p>Cherri’s head swiveled, and squinted at the fluffy spider slut, he's up to something.</p>
<p>"You know an awful lot about fashion." Angel Continued.</p>
<p>"Righty oh!” Niffty places both her hands on the table at eye height for her, as she jumps up and down. “I love, love LOVE FASHION. I think it was my major before I died. that... and cleaning!" Niffty spoke fast. Conversations with Niffty typically acted like a balloon full of mud.. You poke in once, its then suddenly all out, and everywhere..</p>
<p>Angel looks over at Cherri with a devilish cheshire grin.</p>
<p>"Niffty, would you like to make Cherri here into an outstanding vague 1800's broad to woo over that snake man?"</p>
<p>Rage beamed out of Cherri’s eye towards Angel. “oh god no.”</p>
<p>Niffty's eye wided and sparkled with intrigue as her body begins to vibrate. Niffty and Angel both look on at Cherri. The cyclops couldn’t be less enthused about it. She was visibly disturbed. The two demons stare her down with the widest grins in hell.</p>
<p>She groaned at the thought. "No, Fuuuuck NO!". </p>
<p>"Come on babe! This is your only ticket outta this." Angel said with a slight bit of sarcasm in him.</p>
<p>"Ok, at first I was ok with sabotaging his goods. but do I really have to butter up the fat snake bastard? Not only that but dress up in old fuddy duddy hoity toity, ass kissin’, tight and itchy old ass 1800's clothing? No. I'm not doing that." Cherri locked her arms crossed across her chest.</p>
<p>Angel pauses for a second. but raises up his voice.  Niffty had already disappeared to retrieve some supplies before they even continued their conversation. </p>
<p>"Oh come ooon toots! It would be great! Think about it!.'' Angel pulled her in close beside him.  "Consida’ this the easy route, you and him go to other places to waste his time, eat his food while you're at it. maybe even sneak me in and pull some pranks. All while lounging in his wealthy estate... in the sky too!" Angel giggles.</p>
<p>“The easy route huh?” Cherri smiled stroking her chin . if only for a moment, then groaned once again. Louder than last time, the combination of exhaustion, lack of sleep, and fucked up sleep schedule culminated as a sharp ringing migraine. Pulling herself away from Angel She slouched in her chair, contemplating about the situation. Angel leaned next to her with his right arms on her seat, eager for her to say yes. He so eagerly wanted her to say yes. </p>
<p>Her body ached, her mind buzzed with pain, and soul burned. </p>
<p>she thought to herself, <em> does it really have to keep going on like this? goddamnit. fuck this shit. im so fucking done. fine, lets try it for a bit. besides if it gets too hairy, then fuck it. I'm outta there. </em> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Cherri opened her mouth, "ok I-"</p>
<p>"I’M BACK!!!" Niffty explodes out of the kitchen dual doors hard enough to knock them off the hinges. you know it was her cause of her two tiny little feets underneath the towering boxes of fabric and sewing supplies.</p>
<p>The spider and cyclops reply with a resonant "... uh"</p>
<p>No objections were made. Niffty worked faster than words can leave either of Angels, or Cherri's mouth. and like a fuse made of gunpowder, she was already off</p>
<p> </p>
<p>~~~~~~~</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The hour flashed by blurs of wavy fabric. A storm of needles and a rolling thunder of non stop, chatter from Niffty. Cherri no longer cared, and nearly passed out standing up a few times. The incessant flapping of nifty’s lips passed into one ear and out the other. She had been on auto-pilot by this point. Nothing really needed her present other than to sit still, wait, move this arm please and ‘hold this’. Angel sat in the nearby chair, grazing off of the fries he had left. and spectating the splendor unfold in front of him. occasionally getting called by Niffty to help hold a seam, busser for sewing tools. and extra muscle for the corset.</p>
<p>Cherri snaps out of standing sleep, "Corset? Wait, What?!". </p>
<p>It was too late for Cherri to react properly. her sluggish arms went numb as Angel's six arms (plus nifty’s two) pulled on the corset. The straps tighten and choke cherri's already slender figure and rob her of lung space. Cherri felt lightheaded and out of breath. the equipment rattled on the table as her hand gripped it hastily in her panic.</p>
<p>Angel let out a chuckle before asking, "You ok babe?" Eyeing her boobs which were pressed upward.</p>
<p> Cherri nearly read Angel's mind by saying, " no its fine. my organs just moved to make my boobs bigger, no big deal." </p>
<p>"Good! Then let's keep going." Niffty excitedly replied.</p>
<p>Angel Smirked at Cherri's joke. but held silence.</p>
<p>Cherri managed to wince out a  worried smile.</p>
<p>In a flash Niffty put together the ensemble, a light bustle for just some, ‘oomph’ for her booty, some slimming pants equipped with a stirrup so that they never ride up.  Some complimentary knee-high boots to go with the stirrup pants. </p>
<p>"No blood or 'fluids' are getting on my dress pants. Just as long as you hold up the front!" Niffty rang out and a garter too for style points. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The dress covered neck to toes, layered in ruffles, and frills. It was primarily dark red, Interspersed with creamy whites and yellow vertical stripes.Cherri’s eye raced across the tapestry hanging from her body. It definitely had detail to it. Lots to look at. Not as wide and round as she had thought. Barely accentuated her hips, but with her thin, unbreathable waist, she figured her ass would be at least five times more noticeable. A globe to put the moon to shame. Her hands could still rest at her sides without invading too much on her usual resting place for them. The collar rested just above her sternum. A small round blue ornament hung from her necklace. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Just the right amount of width for her booty to stick out. but slender enough from the front for it to make Cherri maneuverable as much as needed for a basic 1800's-esque woman. PLUS! You match him!” Niffty screamed, “Isn't that exciting?!?!”</p>
<p>"Isn't this. a little tight, and hot for hell?" Cherri said.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Angel opens his mouth for a joke.</p>
<p>"HELL YEAH IT IS!" Niffty interrupted with excitement. "Every duke in the Pentagram is going to catch a case of the, 'vapors' once their eyes meet your dress!"</p>
<p>"Vapors huh," Angel stifles a giggle, "uh. you look... uhm.... *snicker* Great" </p>
<p><em> I hate this. </em> Cherri thought.</p>
<p>Niffty twirled up Cherri's hair lickity split up all neatly as Angel brought in the mirror. Cherri thought the mirror had cracked, or some sort of bad will screamed in horror at her appearance. 'am I dreaming? is this real right now?' what the fuck???'</p>
<p>"you look Gorgeous!" Niffty chimed in arms up in the air, like she doesn’t care.</p>
<p>"I mean. This is the most amount of prep I've ever seen you go though." Angel chimed in. “Hafta admit though. You look good with your hair up like this. Not bad! I definitely gotta remember that for another time.” he pantomimes writing words in an invisible notebook.</p>
<p>"Ew, no, no, NOPE, nuh uh. I'm not doing this." She said as she tried to slip something off but all of the outfit was well fitted and tight. "This is super uncomfortable. This is way too tight for me to even consider living like this." Cherri began undressing. </p>
<p>Niffty’s smile began to erase.</p>
<p>Angel pleads. "Oh come on why not?? Who will get me in there for some self indulgent fun? Who's going to help me prank an idiot who can hardly help himself? who's going to let me poop in a toilet made for snakes?Does he even have a toilet? How does he even poop? What the fuck is down there anyway? Will I not get to see his sex toys? Does he even have any? I want to steal his gold studded sex toys!" Angel freezes.</p>
<p>Cherri, too mad to register his excuses continues, "No. not happening." </p>
<p>A loud siren echoes from outside the walls, into the hallway, and into the kitchen. Niffty and Angel both look to the closed doors and listen.</p>
<p>The echo of explosions ring out from outside, "OH CHERRRRIIIIII"</p>
<p>The hair stood up on end around Cherri. Tiny sparks glitter out from Cherri’s hair. That was definitely a new for angel. No, not the dress, but he’d never seen Cherri, well, fuming mad! Fire felt like it was about to burst forth from Cherri’s expression.  Angel put up his hands looking as if to calm her down. </p>
<p>“Ey, uh, you good girl?” Angel said.</p>
<p>"Ok let's try this." Cherri brushed off her skirt, and walked outside. she did not look back. Her steps marched forward. Her silhouette painted its long proud form across the entryway as she sauntered over to her foe.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b> <em>Click clack, click, clack, click, clack.</em> </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Each step pounded resolve into her, steadily becoming louder into stops and escalated into running. The boots were definitely different. but at least they were more comfortable than she thought. not like she's running in high heels or anything. Cherri guess Niffty knew what she was doing. Definitely beats running while getting blisters though. But the dress.  Her dress flopped and flipped around her waist and wrestled against her movements. She angrily pushed it aside to almost throw off her balance but grunted in frustration when she picked it up to hold on her arms as she ran.</p>
<p>"I am so. sick. and tired. of that goddamn snake." she growled low and deep with her hurried panting. “I’m going to fucking punch him so hard hes not going to recover from it.” </p>
<p>Hatred stirred up from the darkest recesses of her soul as she grew closer to Sir Pentious’ blimp. But she can't just simply start swinging once she's in. This is the long con. Something that she has never done before. What Is going tobe done? Isn’t it just waiting for the right moment to strike? That sounds easier. The steps she made became steadily more rhythmic and steady. But its always been easy hasn't it? He shows up. Bip bam, pow, and hes outta here. Taiil between his legs and shit. But thats not working is it? No, it hasn't been working. What if this does work? All that can happen to make this start off well is the first step. Every word mixes into the next, above, below it, inside and out. The slurry of ideas muddle out and clear out to the invasive light of something old.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> An image flashes throughout her mind. It feels faded, worn. Maybe its not even a memory. Its been so long.  What was it? Green trees, and dirt? Grass? It was the backyard wasn't it? </p>
<p>It all came fluttering back. Soft, and small like a butterfly in spring.</p>
<p>“Oh! Babygirl what are you doing back here in the mud? I thought you were trying to ride your bike.’ she spoke warmly, and calmly.</p>
<p>‘I don't like it, it's too hard.’</p>
<p>She looked back with such a tender acceptance.</p>
<p>“Remember baby. The hardest part of beginning something, is the first step. But once you get past it. It becomes so much more easy, right?’</p>
<p>‘Right’</p>
<p>“Love you baby girl.’</p>
<p>‘..Love you too.’</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Cherri couldn't help but wonder why now of all times to remember that. Her heart was steady and strong. The oceans in her mind became still and calm.  "This plan better fucking work."</p>
<p>Angel and NIffty look at her disappear into the afternoon light.</p>
<p>"Well," Angel started, "I think she's got this."</p>
<p>"with an outfit like that." Niffty gloated, "there's no way she can lose. Nothing can beat that fresh dress."</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>“So you mean to tell me there wasn't an opening?” cigar smoke choked the air of the room and blanketed itself around a shadowy shape. Tailored uniforms gripped his body. Concealing his face in the dark room.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“She fought him off again, no limp, no exhaustion, and wide awake sir.” the other spoke with earnest. “I’m sure you also know about what she's capable of.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What? Of course you fuckwit.” the cigar addled silhouette fumed back.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Then you should know that she would easily be able to just destroy anything we throw at her. We can't even deal with Sir Pentious at the state were currently at.” the smaller demon was careful of his tone. The sound of leather squeaked from his tense hands gripping each other behind his back.  “But we are getting there soon, I assure you” His words were calm and cold.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The shadow sitting down with the cigar takes a long drag. The smoke grows more dense from his singular exhale. “Goddammit. Then we're just going to have to wait more.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Our patience will be well rewarded.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>They both look to the wall. Still in the stagnant air, a malformed tapestry woven in hatred hides.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>And waits...</p>
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